Black Sun

    Motivation & Decision Making

    13 techniques available

    Explore what drives us, from hierarchy of needs to the science of flow and change.

    Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

    3 min read

    A five-tier model of human needs explaining that we must satisfy basic survival needs before we can focus on psychological growth and self-actualization.

    5.0(7)

    Stages of Change

    2 min read

    The Transtheoretical Model: six stages people move through when changing behavior—and why pushing someone in the wrong stage backfires.

    4.8(4)

    Flow State

    8 min read

    The psychological state of complete immersion in an activity—where challenge meets skill, self-consciousness dissolves, and time seems to disappear.

    5.0(3)

    Contentment vs Fulfillment

    6 min read

    Contentment is the absence of unnecessary suffering. Fulfillment is a life actively filled with meaning, purpose, and joy. One is the floor—the other is the ceiling.

    5.0(6)

    The Science of Happiness

    5 min read

    A few evidence-based practices can increase your happiness by 5–15%. Happiness, like any expertise, takes deliberate work.

    5.0(5)

    Growth Mindset

    4 min read

    The belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication and hard work—a view that creates a love of learning and resilience.

    4.7(6)

    Playfulness: Life's Ultimate Strategy

    5 min read

    Approaching life with the spirit of a child at play unlocks a form of power that striving and efforting can never achieve.

    5.0(4)

    Defining Fairness

    5 min read

    Fairness cannot be objectively determined. Understanding the many definitions of fairness illuminates perspective-taking, empathy, and the complexity of moral reasoning.

    4.8(5)

    Justice and Mercy

    4 min read

    Justice requires equivalent payment, while mercy transforms that payment into a lesson learned rather than exact reciprocity.

    5.0(5)

    The Science of Creativity

    6 min read

    Research shows creativity is essential for psychological well-being, emotional resilience, and human flourishing—but anxiety and unhealed wounds shut it down. Understanding this connection reveals why healing work unlocks creative capacity.

    5.0(2)

    Working Out: The Myth of Output

    8 min read

    The research is clear: low-intensity exercise like stretching and walking provides profound physical and emotional benefits—intensity matters far less than consistency.

    5.0(2)

    Using Shame As A Motivator

    8 min read

    The research is clear: shame is not only ineffective as a motivator for lasting change—it actively sabotages the process and creates the very behaviors it aims to eliminate.

    4.5(4)

    Using Anger As A Motivator

    10 min read

    Anger feels like power, but the research is clear: as a sustained motivator, it depletes the body, distorts judgment, damages relationships, and obscures the deeper emotions actually driving the behavior.

    4.5(2)